Package-fastener.



W. M. CLBAVELAND.

PACKAGE FASTENEB.

APPLIOATION FILED PEB. 11, 190s.

913,469. Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

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WILLIAM MONROE OLEAVELAND, OF HIGHLANDS, NORTH CAROLINA.

PACKAGE-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Application filed February 11, 1908. Serial No. 415,297.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. @LEAVE- LAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Highlands, in the county of Macon and State ofNorth Carolina, have in vented a new and Improved PackageFas tener, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The urpose of the invention is to provide novel t etails of constructionfor a fastening device, which adapt it for. very convenient and reliableservice, as a means for releasably securing a cord or band in wrappedcondition upon a package of mail matter or other material it isdesirable to temporarily secure, in a manner which will permit thepackage or bundle to be quickly opened and re-fastened, if this isdesired.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination-ofparts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved fastening device, appliedfor securing a band in taut condition wrapped around a package;` Fig. 2is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the fastener,substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 5, showing parts adjusted forreleasing a band shown in part, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional viewof the fastener, showlng parts adjusted for securing a band when drawnin taut condition, por tions of the band appearing as connected with thedevice; Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of the improved fastener,working details thereof appearing as partially adjusted for releasing atie band, the latter being shown as engaged with the fastener, and Fig.5 is a plan view of the improved package fastener.

The body portion of the improved fastener is essentially U-shaped incross section, consisting of a flat bottom wall l() of a suitable widthand length, upon which are .integr-all y formed two parallel side walls10, the upper corners on which are preferably rendered convex. At oneend, on one side wall 10, a clamping jaw 10b is formed or secured, thatis of less width, vertically considered, than the side walls 10a, and anend portion l()C of said jaw projects laterally beyond both of saidwalls, and has an ovate form edgewise,

which adapts said end ortion 10" to serve as a guide finger, as wilhereinafter be more fully explained.

The bottom wall 1() is removed to a short extent below and near thetransverse clamping jaw 10b, providing a throat-opening a., and abovesaid opening between the side walls 10a a clamping block 11 is pivotedas at l). The block 11 fits loosely between the walls 10- and has aconvexed lower edge, which extends from one end to a point adj acent tothe upper edge at the other end of the block, which latter end is inservice disposed adjacent to the clamping aw 10b. The periphery of theclamping block 1l in the portion nearest to the transverse jaw 10b isserrated transversely, as shown at c, and the pivot b, which supportsthe clamping block i l, is disposed eccentric to the convexed edgehaving the serrations c. A short finger d is formed on the clam )ingblock 11 adjacent to the serrations c, amf in service projects above theupper edge of the jaw 10b. The serrated edge portion c of the clampingblock 11, closely approaches the side of the jaw 10b, but does notcontact therewith when the clamping block is so adjusted that the fingerd is disposed near to the upper edge of the clam ing aw, as is shown inFigs. 3 and 4.

A ocking lever l2 is an essential detail of the invention, and as shown,is in the form of a flat plate-like lever of a suitable length, and awidth which permits it to work freely between the side walls l()a of thebody 10, when arranged for service. Upon the lower side and at one endof the lever 12 two flanges e, e are formed, which are spaced apart soas to leave a channel between them. The flanges e are preferably roundedon their edges, and concentric with said edges they are transverselyperforated for the reception of a pivot g, which also passes throughopposite perforations in the side walls of the body 10.

The upper rear corner of the clamping block 11 is reduced in thicknessby an equal removal of material at the sides, thus producing a toe h onthe block, which may be loosely inserted between the flanges e. The edgeportions of the flanges e, e that are near to the transverse edge e', ofthe lever body 12, are concaved slightly so as to permit the edge e tointerlock with the adjacent porblock and the rear side of the jaw 10b.

A coiled spring 14 is held in position between thef'bottom wall 10 andthe lever body 12, by short pins formed on opposite ends of said spring,whereby the normal expansion of the latter is adapted for enforcing anengagement of the locking lever with the rear portion of the clampingblock 11.

A flexible tie string or band 15 is employed for wrapping upon a parcelor package, and one end of said band is secured upon the end of the bodyplate 10 that is furthest from the jaw 10b, in a perforation therein,leaving a suflicient portion for its designated purpose as a tie band.

In application of the complete fastening means upon a package A, theband 15 is passed around said package longitudinally and laterally anddrawn tautso as to properly bind the articles composing the packagetogether. The fastening device is in this way disposed upon one side ofthe package longitudinally thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, and in positionfor its service as a securing means. The free end of the band 15 is nowdrawn taut and passed around the end of the guide finger 10 c, whichwill conduct the band into the opening a and into Contact with the sideof the jaw 10b. To facilitate the insertion of the band 15, asdescribed, the clamping block 11 should be adjusted so as to separatethe serrated edge c from the jaw 10b, as is represented in Fig. 2; thenwhen the band is properly drawn upon the package, the lever 12 isdepressed at its rear end, as shown in Fig. 4, which will release theforward end of said lever from the block 11. Simultaneously with therocked adjustment of the lever 12 which compresses the spring 14, thefinger CZ is manually depressed, which will rock the serrated edge ofthe clamping block into forcible engagement with the band 15, this beingproduced by the eccentric formation and pivotal engagement of the blockwith the side walls 10a.

It will be seen in Fig. 3, where the locked adjustment of the fasteneris shown, that the lever 12 is rocked into a level position by thetension of the spring 14, the finger d is pressed upon the band andco-acts with the serrations c for holding said band from slipping, andthat the forward transverse edge of the lever body 12 is impinged uponthe toe h, thus locking the clamping block in clamped adjustment, whichcan only be released by a depression of the free rear end of the leveras shown in Fig. 4, and hereinbefore eX lained.

t will be noted that the application of the fastener may be very quicklyeffected, that pulling on the free end of the band will not release it,that strain on the wrapped ortion of the band will serve to cause the bock or dog 11 to increase its bite upon the band, and that only themanual depression of the lever will release the band, which when desiredmay be instantly effected.

As the upper surface of the lever 12 and the top edges of the side Walls101L are substantially level with each other, an accidental depressionof the lever is not liable to occur, so that a package or bundlefastened by application of the improvement upon a tie band Will remainintact until the same is released by manipulation.

The improvement is preferably constructed of a suitable metal that withexception of the spring 14 may be cast into form, and in quantity may beproduced cheaply, and as the device may be re-used many times, it willsave time by its employment, and also the cost of Wrapping twinecommonly used for tying parcels of various kinds.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A package fastener, comprising a band or the like, a body to one endof which one end of the band is secured, said body being provided 'witha xed jaw at the end opposite that to which the band is secured and withan opening adjacent to the aw for the passage of the free end of theband, a clamping block pivoted eccentrically in the body and adapted toclamp the band onto the fixed jaw, said block being provided with afinger projecting over the Xed jaw when the block is in clampingposition, and means for engaging the clamping block to hold it in closedor open position.

2. In a package fastener, a body having a bottom, two sides, one ofwhich terminates short of one end, and an end forming a fiXed jaw, thebottom having an opening therein adjacent to the iiXed jaw, a clampingblock pivoted eccentrically between the sides of the body adjacent tothe jaw and adapted to clamp a tie band upon the said jaw, and a pivotedand spring pressed locking member arranged between the sides of the bodyin rear of the clamping block and adapted to engage the end of theclamping block to hold it in clamping position. Y

3. In a fastening device of the character described, the .combination-With a body piece havin@ a bottom Wall, two spaced parallel sidesthereon, and a clamping jaw disposed transversely at one end of the bodypiece, ofva clamping block having a rounded periphery that istransversely serrated and is Cyl f; plece,

pivoted between the sides, so as to dispose the serrated edgeeccentrically and opposed to the clamping jaw, the bottom wall beingremoved at one end to provide an opening below the jaw and clampingblock, and a spring-pressed lever pivoted near one end between the sidesof the body piece, and holding the clamping block in one position of theblock and lever, and releasing said block when the lever is rockedagainst stress of the spring.

4. In a package carrier of the character described, the combination witha body piece having a flat bottom wall, two spaced parallel sidesthereon, and a transverse clamping jaw at one end of the body piece,said Jaw having a laterally projected guide finger on one end thereof,of a clamping block having `a rounded periphery, and a flat top wall, ashort finger projecting from one end of the top wall, and a toe at theother end thereof, the rounded periphery having transverse serrationsthereon below the finger, a pivot supportingthe clamping block betweenand upon the sides of the body, and disposing the serrationseccentrically and opposed to the clamping jaw, a locking and releasinglever having spaced flanges at one end, said fianges being ivotedbetween the sides of the body aving edges thereof adjacent to the toe onthe clamping block, and a coiled spring pressing between the bottom wallof the body piece and the locking lever.

5. In a package fastener', a body having a jaw at one end, a clampingblock eccentrically pivoted in the body, and a pivoted and springpressed lever in the body and adapted to engage with its forward end theupper surface of the clamping block to hold it open or the rear end ofthe said block to hold it closed.

6. In a package fastener, a body having a jaw at one end, a clampingblock eccentrically pivoted in the body and having a toe at its rearend, and a pivoted and spring pressed lever in the body for engaging theclamping block to hold it in a closed or open position, said lever beingprovided with side flanges by means of which it is pivoted and betweenwhich the toe of the clamping block is adapted to project when theclamping block is in open position.

7. In a package fastener, a body formed of a bottom and two sides, thebody having at one end an opening in its bottom and at said end aclamping jaw having a lateral extension forming a guide, and aneccentrically pivoted clam ing block in the body.

8. In a pac age fastener, a body formed of a bottom, an end and twosides, one of which terminates short of one end, the bottom having anopening therein and the end forming a jaw and having a lateral extensionforming a guide, a clamping block eccentrically pivoted in the body, andmeans for locking the block in position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MONROE CLEAVELAND.

Witnesses:

JOHN JAY SMITH, JAMES FRANK CLEAVELAND.

